Engaging with Parliaments: Advice to Civil Society

The paper argues that civil society organisations (CSOs) should not dismiss parliaments as 'rubber stamps' but instead build strategic partnerships with individual members of parliament (MPs). It emphasizes the importance of understanding electoral systems to identify independent-minded MPs, providing high-quality non-partisan research to resource-poor legislators, and cultivating 'champions' within the governing party. The author highlights that credibility and public legitimacy—built through community rooting and financial transparency—are more valuable than funding when influencing policy. Practical guidance is provided on lobbying, media engagement, and monitoring MP performance through 'report cards' to drive accountability during elections.

• The type of electoral system significantly impacts an MP's ability to act independently of their political party. In 'single-member district' systems using 'first-past-the-post' voting, MPs often have a stronger individual power base to bargain with their parties compared to those in multi-member districts or closed-list systems.
• Many parliaments in developing democracies suffer from severe resource deficits, including a lack of staff, neglected research archives, and insufficient training for MPs. This creates an opportunity for civil society organisations to provide value by offering accurate, non-partisan information and research that MPs cannot produce themselves.
• Effective advocacy requires identifying and supporting a 'champion'—ideally an MP from the governing party—who can navigate the levers of power to advance a cause. CSOs are advised to build long-term relationships based on trust rather than only contacting officials during crises.
• The legitimacy of a civil society organisation in the eyes of politicians is derived from its credibility and community rooting rather than its financial resources. This includes maintaining financial transparency, including beneficiaries on boards of directors, and soliciting small contributions from the local public to demonstrate a broad voter base.
• CSOs can increase the pressure on political elites by creating 'newsworthy events' for the media and by issuing non-partisan 'report cards' that track how MPs voted on specific issues, which can then be circulated to voters before elections.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2008). Engaging with Parliaments: Advice to Civil Society. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/Occasional-Paper-8.pdf

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Engaging with Parliaments: Advice to Civil Society. 2008. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/Occasional-Paper-8.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Engaging with Parliaments: Advice to Civil Society |date=July 2008 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/Occasional-Paper-8.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2008engaging, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{Engaging with Parliaments: Advice to Civil Society}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2008}, month = jul, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/Occasional-Paper-8.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }